Recorded on December 3, 1927 in Dallas, Texas. This was Johnson's first recording session. This tune is the story of Samson and Delilah. It is the flip side to "Mother's Children Have A Hard Time." Rev. Gary Davis popularized this tune in the early sixties during the Great Folk Scare.


This audio is part of the collection: 78 RPMs & Cylinder Recordings
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Artist/Composer: Blind Willie Johnson
Date: 1927-12-03 00:00:00
Source: 78rpm>CD>MP3
Keywords: Music; Acoustic; Blues; Gospel; Acoustic Country Blues; Christian; 78rpm

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Reviewer: Son of 76 - - May 2, 2011
Subject: 5 Stars
This rocks! Thank you so much Willie, wherever you are.

Reviewer: mikesmusicdreams - - January 7, 2010
Subject: Amazes
It never ceases to amaze me how much of the music of my youth - Stones, Zepplin, Beatles (the holy trinity back then) borrowed SO heavily from the old bluesmen of the American south

Reviewer: Dub Irie - - March 3, 2006
Subject: Very incredible
WOW!

Reviewer: Alan M. - - February 21, 2006
Subject: Blues recordings of the late 1920's
If the blues musicians of the late 1920's (and into the 1930's) did not create and perform the music that they did back then, we would not have The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton/Cream, etc., nor rock n' roll, rap, and all the various related genera of popular music of today. It was from the blues that evolved the various different strains of popular music of more modern times. The blues in fact might be the only truly original American art form.
My last statement may be open to debate (I can't say that I am knowledgable of the history or background of apple pie), but as to the rock n' roll of the 50's and into the '60's, and all music today referred to as "rock", including the music of the Dead, none would today exist without their evolution over time from the blues of the 20's and 30's, and this is not a matter of my own opinion...it would be (or already has been) confirmed by any and all of the world's most famous (and not so famous) rock legends, to include those living today and not.
For those who want to hear some rock n' roll of the 1920's, check out Blind Blake's recordings, and while listening to them (guitarists reading this especially), keep in mind that you are listening to one person playing solo (with a very few exceptions in the catalogue of his recorded output), covering bass, rhythm, and lead all performed solo (an adaptation of old rag-time piano played on the guitar and mixed with blues stylings actually).

Reviewer: EstimatedEyes - - May 1, 2005
Subject: AHHH :P
This is great download it right away !

Reviewer: EstimatedEyes - - May 1, 2005
Subject: AHHH :P
This is great download it right away !

Reviewer: Michael Trupp - - March 20, 2005
Subject: If I had my way
As a faithful "Dead Head" I enjoyed hearing "Samson" in it's original form. There IS no blues like OLD BLUES

Reviewer: RemixingAmerica - - February 26, 2005
Subject: Wow!
I like the forefathers of rap comment and of course we do know it from the Dead. The guitar is so sweet, they played like that then? lol!!

Reviewer: gankmore - - July 15, 2004
Subject: you might know it as Samson and Delilah
great, and very much a great-granddaddy of rap and hip-hop.

Reviewer: LOCUTUS - - April 7, 2004
Subject: Ain't no Blues like Old Blues !
This is a Music Style long removed from todays Hip hop & rapp, but its the most real, emotion filled blues around ! Get down Blind Willie !